Personalized air conditioning displacement ventilation system

Abstract

A displacement ventilation system is located above a floor having an air plenum below the floor but above the concrete slab. A displacement ventilation workstation structure is located above the floor and thereby above the air plenum. An air fan is located below the floor and delivers air into flexible air ducts and from there into rigid upstanding air ducts. From there the conditioned air is delivered into rigid upstanding air ducts structure that is located under a workstation surface and has a front outlet that is controllable by a person sitting at the workstation. The upstanding duct has a lateral air opening or outlet which is opposite the direction of where air is delivered to the duct structure under the surface of the workstation. The outlet opening supplies the majority of conditioned air and is thereby delivered into the atmosphere of the work space at a very low velocity and at a point which is below the work surface of the workstation. This system does not create any uncomfortable air streams and air turbulences.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention at hand relates to either heating or cooling the air in a large building, especially with a floor area having multiple persons working therein. The invention is directed primarily to the personal comfort of a person working at a workstation including a desk by directing conditioned air to the immediate vicinity of the person or persons present at those workstations and by giving those persons control over the flow and direction of the conditioned air, and to providing displacement ventilation to the surrounding area. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In the field of heating and cooling, generally known as “air conditioning”, there are known problems causing discomfort to the occupants in the building or a room. Inefficiencies in the system result in excessive operating costs in the operation of the building and problems in the operation and control of the present systems. Also present systems tend to have poor indoor air quality (IAQ). DE...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026] Consequently, in the field of heating and cooling there exists a need for providing a flow of conditioned air directly to or near a person sitting at a workstation, without blowing at the person and without creating a draft, as well as to occupants of the surrounding area. More particularly, there exists a need for a workstation to be so equipped wherein the occupant can individually control and obtain the amount of conditioned air supplied within the workstation while maintaining a desirable flow of conditioned air to surrounding areas. The amount of conditioned air within the workstation is controlled by the person to maximize the comfort level, well being health and level of productivity of each worker, while maintaining a desirable flow of conditioned air to surrounding areas.

Problems solved by technology

In a building whether large or small, for example, the control of temperature, air flow, humidity and the like, or even individual rooms and workstations leaves many persons in the building or within a room or in the vicinity of a workstation uncomfortable or dissatisfied with the condition of their particular environment.

Also, different locations in a building or on a floor, or even a single room or closer yet in the vicinity of a workstation, are not satisfactorily heated or cooled, that is, air conditioned, and give rise to complaints about discomfort and illness, resulting in absenteeism, sickness and, of course, loss of productivity.

Further, conventional air conditioning systems generally require expensive duct work and installations, usually in floors or ceilings or both, which cause unnecessary heating or cooling of unused space, particularly the spaces that between the room dividers or partitions there is no means for providing the workstation occupant with an acceptable flow of conditioned air.

Therefore, the workers often become uncomfortable, or even ill, which in turn decreases productivity and / or causes absenteeism.

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